Changing becipbocating motion into rotary motion



` UNITED vSTATES VPATEN T OFFICE.

PETER YATES,` 0F MILWAUKEE WISCONSIN. I

CHANGING RECIPROCATING MOTION INTO ROTARY MOTION.

` Speccation of Letters Patent No. 7,316, dated April 23, 1850.

used in these improvements, with other parts not included in the original invention, the whole being now so constituted as to form a distinct invention, for which I seek Letters Patent of the United States, and that the construction, operation, and eects produced bythe said improvements are fully and substantially set forthV and Y shown in the following` description and in the drawings, annexed to and making part, of this specification of my said improvements, wherein The Figure l, is a plan of the same as in place for use, F ig.` 2,` is a side elevation with one frame removed to show the parts of the same, Fig. 3, is a plan, Fig. 4, is .a side elevation, and Fig. 5, is a cross `section, of the parts that the power act-s through, and on, to produce a continuous rotary motion, these three last figures are drawn in larger size than the same parts in the two first figures, and the same letters and numbers as marks of reference, apply to the like parts in all the several figures as follows:

A, A, are sideframes, on which the parts are mounted, these are shown horizontally, `but may be placed either inclined or vertical.

B, is the plumber block carrying the main shaft a, which may be connected in any convenient manner to the wheels of a` steam vessel, or to drive any other machinery.

The frames A, A, are fitted with slides 1, 1, to receive slide blocks in the ends of arms Z2, b, one on each side of and supporting two vertical cross heads C, C1, these are united by two connecting b-ars D, D, the ends of which, go through the cross heads C, C1, and are shown as secured in place by nuts and counternuts 2, 2, but these connections may be made by mortises and keys, or in any usual effective manner.

At E, is shown one end of the` piston rod of a steam engine, 4to be connected in any usual manner to the cross head C1, the cyllnder o-f which, must be in the line -of motion of the parts.

At 4, 4, are ears or bosses two on each of the cross heads, through which the screwed shafts c, c, are passed and secured by nuts and set nuts 5, 5, outside the cross head, and between these and the cross head, may be placed prepared india rubber, or any kind of elastic material, to give a slight elasticity,

to the action of the parts. The inner ends of the screw shafts c, c, are jointed to one end, of the two pairs of driving chains fl, d, d, d, these chains are formed of flat links of propersize and number, riveted together the other ends of each chain are jointed on the circumference of the pulleys F, F1, in -such a manner, that when the mo tion of the cross heads, draws one chain ofi' each pulley, the other chain winds on the pulley, in the opposite direction one pair of chains, being jointed on one pulley over the catch blocks, the chains on the next pulley are jointed on the rim on the opposite side to the catch blocks.

The pulleys F, F1, are formed alike, bu set back to back, or in reverse of each other, and have a hollow or countersunk space between the boss 6, which surrounds and moves freely on the shaft a, and the rim 7, which forms a solid circumference to the pulley and receives the joints e, e, that connect the chains to the pulleys.`

Between the rim 7, and boss 6, bosses or masses of metal f, are cast solid with the other parts of the pulleys, these bosses are mortised or countersunk, so as to receive each a pair of cat-ch blocks 8, 8, shown detached in side view in Fig. 6, with a plan Fig. 7, ofthe top of the catch blocks farl thest from the shaft 0:, and Fig. 8, a plan of the bottom next the shaft a, one part of each catch block, is beveled from the outside edge inward and upward as at 9, on the lower outside and on the upper and inside edge a similiar 0r counter bevel is cut outward,

and upward, as at 10. The inner and higher edges of the bevels 9,\take the points of the crank arms g, g1, these are made with a boss,

surrounding the main shaft a, on which they Y are keyed, so that the crank arms, stand on the shaft in exactly the same direction.

At 1l, is the fulcrumof the levers It, 72,1, the points of which are expanded to cover a little more than the space between the catch the lever ceases to act on the block, as hereafter described.

At 12, 12, are studs forming a joint for the upper ends of vertical arms 7c, the lower ends of which sustain the cross bar Z, which lies across beneath the pulleys and governs the motions of the levers ZL, hi, Z, and causes them to lock the catch blocks 8, with or unlock them from the crank arms g, g1. An adjust-able side rod m, is connected to the bars Z, and 1, that serves to move and adjust the bar Z, by notches on a pin so that it gives either a direct or reversed motion to the levers h, h1, changing their action on the catch blocks to reverse themotion of the crank arm and shaft.

When thus constructed and adjusted for use, the-operation and effects of the parts are asfollows: The Fig. 2, shows the cross heads as moving to the leftin the direction of the black arrow 1, the upper chain eZ, drawing the pulley F, and parts attached in the direction of the red arrows l, and the right-hand catch block 8, in contact with the right side of the crank arm g, is carrying the crank g, and shaft a, in the same direction with the red arrow 1. At this time the opposite lever h1, is canted in the contrary direction and overlies and has depressed the left hand catch block on the neXt pulley F1, so that the catch block is depressed below the contact with the point of the crank arm g1, on that side and the lower chain cZ, on the cross head C, is carrying the pulley F1, with the lever Ztl, in

the opposite direction to the pulley F, as indicated by the blue arrow 1, the lower chain CZ, on the cross head C, is winding off the pulley F1, and the chains CZ, (Z, on the cross head C1, are both winding on their respective pulleys. When the movement is nearly completed in the direction of the black arrow 1, the two levers h, and Ztl, will be one kon each side the governing bar Z, as shown by dotted lines, in the lower part of Fig. 2, and by full lines in Fig. Li; moving with pulleys in the direction of the arrows l, 1, on-them the contact of the levers on the bar Z, reverses the positions of thel levers and Vcatch blocks as the engine finishes its movement, placing the lever h, over the catch block 8, .and depressing it out of contact `with the crank arm g, on the side that the crank arm in continuing its motion has to pass over, and placing the lever 71,1, between the catch blocks on the opposite pulley Fl, leaving the spring z', to throw up the catch block at the side of the crank arm g1, at the instant the power commences to move the cross headsy in the direction of the black arrow 2, the lower chain CZ, on the cross h-ead C1, then takes the draft on the pulley F1, and carries that in the direction of the blue arrows 2, which is the same direction that the pulley F, has previously traveled thus maintaining the same continuous rotary motion of the shaft a, the pulley F, and lever Zt, being unconnected to the crank arm g, turn in the direction of the red arrow 2, the crank arm on the now laboring side passing over the bevel 9, depresses and passes over that catch block the other catch block being depressed by the lever, allows the crank to move freely until the motion is completed in the direction of the black arrow 2, when the movements are again reversed the catch block on the pulley F1, is depressed and that on the pulley F, thrown up by the spring z', takes the crank arm g, and locks the pulley, crank, and shafttogether, to complete another and successive but continuous rotation as before described.

By changing the position of the governing bar m, to the point denoted at n, Fig. 2, in the drawing the positions of the levers Zz, h1, will be changed, so that they will depress the second pair of catch blocks, and thus reverse the rotation o-f the pulleys, the second set of catch blocks being intended for this express purpose, which is thus effected without any change in the other parts of the apparatus, and by the crank arm coming between both, the second catch block both limits t-he movement of the cross heads at the end of each single stroke of the engine, and also prevents what is technically termed back lat-h ofthe crank arm.

The differences between this apparatus and that shown on my specification, to the patent issued to me, on the twenty fifth of April, one thousand eight hundred and forty three, are as follows. First in the employment of the cross heads, arms, slides, and connecting bars, in place of the unwieldy gallows frame, or gate, operating its whole length in slides. By this change less friction is caused, and compactness, lightness, and increased strength are obtained. Second in the employment of the catch levers Zt, Ztl, to move the catch blocks and moving these in a parallel mortise by one independent spring4 to each block, in place of a countersunk ring, acting to depress catch blocks having two springs, by which the end not touched by the ring, canted up when the other end was depressed, thus causing the loc-king of the crank arms, to be uncertain, beside which the one moving almost without friction at each rotation, is not endangered by straining, while the ring is subject to so much friction, as to endanger the arm. Third in the employing two catch blocks, to take the crank arm, in either required direction, and thereby giving the certain means, of bringing the acting parts into contact, without concussion, and furnishes the means of changing the rotation, by moving one bar, without interruption to other parts, while the parts described in the former patent, are liable to all the consequences of concussion and uncertainty, and are without the means of reversing the rotation.

The rst and most important effect of this mode of applying power, acting reciprocally in a right line, to produce continuous rotary motion, is, that the cylinder and length of movement of the driving piston, being equal to the circumference of the pullies, each" one movement of the piston in a dircet line, effects one entire revolution of the shaft through the pulley on which it is then working, instead of making two alternate movements in opposite directions, as when applied to a crank to produce one entire revolution, with this additional difference that the pull or thrust of the piston is acting on a leverage, that is equal in every part of the rot-ation, the leverage not varying as in the crank. Another etl'ect may be produced by this apparatus, namely, an equal and alternating or reciprocating rotary motion, constituting any part of a revolution of the shaft, by either widening the governing bar Z, or placing more than one bar Z, to act on the levers 72;, h1, and in this case the length of movement of the piston, must be the same as the proportion of the revolution, which the parts describe, and will act precisely in the same manner, to produce an alternating rotary movement, in opposite directions, so that any proportion of a revolution, may be made with the advantage of an equal leverage, during the movement.

The valves of the steam engine may be worked to induct and educt the steam, by any convenient means, or connection between the main shaft a, and the steam valve rod, such means being adjusted to move the valves, at the completion of each revolution of the shaft, and the impetus of the piston may be diminished at each end of the stroke, by interposing india rubber, or compressib'le steel springs, or other elastic substances, in such a manner, that they comm'ence to act, as buiers, when the piston is near each end of the cylinder. Such bu'ers may be placed to receive each cross head at the end of each motion, so as to diminish `the impetus of the piston, when coming near the ends of the cylinder, and may also be placed in any other convenient position, where they can be eti'ective for this object. y

It may be proper to state, that the parts must be so timed, or adjusted that the catch blocks 8, 8, and crank arms g, and g1, must alternately interlock and unlock at the same instant of time, and that these movements must be simultaneous with, or timed, so as to take place at the instant the piston of the steam engine has completed its movement in the corresponding direction, and is ready to commence the opposite motion., these adjustments being especially requisite to the complete action of t-he parts.

Having described the construction and operation of the parts employed, and the etfects they produce, or may be made to produce, I do not herein claim to have invented any one of the parts used, irrespective of t the manner in which I have described and shown them to be employed for specific purposes, nor do I claim herein, any of the parts claimed in my patent ofthe twenty fifth of April one thousand eight hundred and forty three, but

I do claim as new, and of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

l. The application of the levers h, itl, catch blocks 8, 8, with the bevels 9 and l0, and springs z', el, or their equivalent to interlock and unlock with the crank arms g, and g1.

2. And I claim also making the governing bar adjustable in combination with the levers 72., h1, in such a manner as to give either a direct or reversed motion to the pulley F, F1, and I claim the above applications severally, and in combination, inv

the whole and in the parts the :apparatus lbeing constructed and operating, substantially in the manner and for the. subscribed and shown.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this nineteenth day of J anuary cne thousand eight hundred and fty.

PETER YATES.

purposes Witnesses:

WM. SERRELL, LEMUEL W. SERRELL. 

